Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- Part I: Understanding spirituality -- Challenges -- Perspectives on spirituality -- Spirituality as liturgy -- Spirituality as academic discipline -- Spirituality as history -- Spirituality and theology -- Keeping the spiritual life alive -- The life of the soul -- The intellectually meaningful life -- The morally desirable life -- Soul-centered : psyche or anima? -- Animation? -- Important benefits -- Animating spirituality -- Methodology : what does spirituality examine? -- How the factors work -- Approaching spirituality -- Part II: Spiritual animation -- Run the good race : the ascetical approach -- Meet an ascetic : Maximus the Confessor -- Ascetic spirituality -- Early Christianity -- My struggle is one with Christ -- Christian asceticism : the Victor's crown -- The word made flesh, dwelling among us : the mystical approach -- Meet a mystic : Catherine of Siena -- Mystical spirituality -- Christ our light and in His light we see light -- Christian mysticism : union with God -- God's beauty fills the earth : the aesthetical approach -- Meet an aesthetic : Ignatius of Loyola -- Aesthetic spirituality -- A changing world -- Christian aestheticism : God in spirit and in truth -- The grandeur of God -- Lord, when did we see you in need? : the social-critical approach -- Meet a social-criticalist : Mother Teresa of Calcutta -- Social-critical spirituality -- Modernity -- Post-modernity -- Christian social-criticalism : those poor or afflicted in any way -- The study of spirituality : do you love me? Feed my sheep -- The critical study of spirituality : be transformed by the renewal of your mind -- Animating spirituality.